Anyone want to help me decide what morphs to buy this summer?

[Drake_Marcus]

First of all, I'm Canadian, so some of the breeding nuances (like what's expensive and what's available) is a little different for me than it is for American forum goers!

I started collecting balls at the start of last summer. I've put together a pretty decent sized collection at this point and I'm looking forward to breeding morphs this coming season as a way of helping to pay for the collection itself (and supplement my income given my poor student status). Here's what I have so far:

--> 0.3 Normal Breeders (all >1600g, 1 laid this year, 1 did wouldn't)
--> 0.1 Normal '07 (900g, very picky eater- takes live mice on occasion)
--> 0.1 Normal '08 (632g, eats like a pig, might have gene(s) for ringer)
--> 0.1 Spider '08 (621g, pig, managed to gain 131g in last month)
--> 0.1 Pastel '09 (98g, bred by me)
--> 0.1 Het Orange Ghost '08 (655g, pig)
--> 0.1 Granite Het Orange Ghost '08 (631g, pig)
--> 1.0 Granite Het Orange Ghost '08 (550g, pig)
--> 1.0 Het High Contrast Albino '04 (1600g, monster, origin- RDR)
--> 1.0 Pastel '07 (779g, bred for me this past season)
--> 1.0 Cinnamon '08 (610g, bred this past season, female didn't take)
--> 3.0 Pastel '09 (my only clutch from last season)
--> 0.2 Normal '09 (part of the 09 clutch)
--> 0.1 Salmontine Het Annery, Pos. Het Albino Boa (picked up in a trade this season only to find out latter she's half Argentine! Open to trading her)

Tomorrow I'm putting a down payment on a smokin' lesser male and a lesser female ('09, both siblings). The male in question comes from a father who breed at 600g, so I'm hoping he'll go for me this season. The female is more of a long term investment, although the lesser prices have really dropped quickly and I'm a bit scared she's not the best choice. I'm pretty sure I could switch her for a spotnose female before my snakes are shipped.

I'm paying for the female using a few GIC's that are getting garbage interest and I figure a female morph is a better investment than GIC's in today's market.

My big question here is what do you think the best additions to my group of breeders is? This is a collection I really enjoy, but I'd like to get enough hatchlings each season to pay for the snakes I buy that year or even to pay for the snakes already bought. Ultimately I'd like to know I paid for my snakes with my own clutches. Plus it's really fun to breed the snakes and wait out the eggs. Seeing my first clutch was awesome this year and it didn't hurt that I got 4 pastels and only 2 normals.

Here are the snakes I'd really like to acquire:
0.1 Het Red Axanthic
0.1 Yellow Belly
0.1 Pin
0.1 Albino
0.1 Tiger (het Diesel type Connie makes at Pythonica)
0.1 Tiger (Banana type from Connie at Pythonica)
1.0 Sugar
1.0 Lesser (already covered this season!)
0.1 BEL (Lesser super)
0.1 BlackBall (Cinny super)

But those are based solely on looks.

What do you think is the smartest purchases I can make this summer based on breeding potential and value? Should I stick with the 1.1 Lesser purchase this season or switch the female for something else?

Thanks for reading and sorry for the length of the post!

[kris62901]

albino there prices are still pretty good they havent really dropped alot like the spider

[minguela]

I would buy also a Clown or a 1.1 Pastel Het Clown to make some pastel clowns and Super Pastel Clowns aka Killer Clowns. They are very rare and are in demand.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Well it depends on the projects you have in mind and what you are the most excited to work with.

At first glance looking at your collection I would say Pinstripe.

[Drake_Marcus]

albino there prices are still pretty good they havent really dropped alot like the spider

Thank for the reply! I plan on trying to get an 09 albino female this Christmas using the combined powers of my girlfriend and parents (I guess the benefit of being 25 at Christmas is your parents don't mind giving you money to put towards a snake).

[kris62901]

hahahaha thats what i did lol im 24 this christmas im aiming for a male albino

[Drake_Marcus]

I would buy also a Clown or a 1.1 Pastel Het Clown to make some pastel clowns and Super Pastel Clowns aka Killer Clowns. They are very rare and are in demand.

I agree that the Clowns are very good investment snakes. Here in Canada the prices are very steady on Clowns- somewhere around $2300/$2800. That's outside my spending range right now, but I'd pick up some females if I could.

I have a friend breeds balls here in Canada and she's excellent at spotting het clowns. So far she's proved out her possible het hold backs 4 out of 4 times. She offered me a possible het pair that she thinks are real hets for only $300... what do you think about that deal? It'd be a steal if it works out, but I'm still iffy on the possible part (although I fully trust her, it's still not a sure thing).

[Drake_Marcus]

Well it depends on the projects you have in mind and what you are the most excited to work with.

At first glance looking at your collection I would say Pinstripe.

A male or female Pin? Are you thinking maybe I should try and switch the lesser female for a female pin?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

A male or female Pin? Are you thinking maybe I should try and switch the lesser female for a female pin?

Given what you already have I would say male Pin and female lesser

This way you could pair your pin to your lesser, pastel and spider which all produce some great combos for you.

[Drake_Marcus]

hahahaha thats what i did lol im 24 this christmas im aiming for a male albino

I'm 25. Heh. Great minds think alike.